April hath put a spirit of youth in everything.
– William Shakespeare, from Sonnet XCVIII

We haven’t had a rainstorm in weeks and my son hasn’t had a baseball tournament in a month. Though we need the rain after our winter drought, could the rain gods have picked a worse time to descend upon us? As they say, April showers bring May flowers. My garden of tulips, daffodils, and watsonias are giving way to the greenery of dahlias and other spring flowers. Soon it will be time to put together my weekly bouquets for the winning bidder of my donation to the Portola Middle School auction. So while the earth drinks in the rain, I watch my flowers bloom, welcoming May.

Simple yet elegant: White calla lilies in all their splendor. An easy bouquet to put together.

Contrasting the white calla lilies: Burnout black flowers on a Chinese-inspired blouse and Japanese-style kimono from H&M’s Conscious Collection – a comfortable outfit to throw together for a spring evening.

Adornments: Carmela Rose earrings and two necklaces (Jenny K, El Cerrito, CA), Lava 9 ring (Berkeley, CA), Alkemie scarab cuff.

Close-up of black flowers and jewels.